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Ol.l) SlAlK JIOUSU 



OLD BOSTON 



REPROinCTIOXS Of ETCHIXGS IX HALF TOXE 



ETCHINGS A>}D 
TEXT BVj^ 
HENRY R. BLANEY 



B O S T O X 
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHICRS 

10 MILK STREET 
1896 




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Oii'VKKiHT, 1895, nv Lee and Siiepakd 



Aii Rij:/i!s A\-srr7'a/ 



Ol.D HOSTON 



TVPOGBAPHV BY C, 1. I'HTEKS & SON, BOSTON 
PRKSSWORK BY HOL'KWIII-I. & CIU'KCHILL 



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PREFACE 



Those who are interested in the preservation of the memory of 
the Revolutionary period of Boston's history will find in this collection 
of reproductions of Mr. Henry R. Blaney's etchings, many plates which 
retain the flavor of the old city from a.u. 1695 to 1800. 

The etchings were made from pencil studies, on the spot, of the 
old passage-ways, streets, and by-ways which still show buildings of 
the period referred to ; and care has been taken in many plates, while 
inserting the exact effect of the gambrel roofs and quaint chimneys 
of those buildings standing at the time, from 1886 to 1893, to also 
add, in conjunction with these, the present-day coloi" of the local life 
of the cjuarter. 

In adtlition to these original sketches from nature, there have been 
inserted prints from rare wet-plate negatives, taken from 1855 to 
1869, owned by Mr. Blaney, not to be found on sale, and also from 
negatives taken by the author. 

About the year 1663 Boston was described in "Johnson's Wonder- 
Working Providence" in the following manner: "The form of this 
town is like a heart, naturally situated for fortifications, having two 
hills on the frontier part thereof ne.xt the sea, the one well fortified 
on the superficies thereof, with store of great artillery well-mounted. 
At the descent of the hill, in the extreme point thereof, betwixt these 
two strong arms, lies a cove or bay, on which the chief part of the 
town is built, overtopped by a third hill ; all these, like overtopping 
towers, keep a constant watch to see the approach of foreign dangers, 
being furnished with a beacon and lout! babbling guns. This town is 
the very mart of the land ; Dutch, iM'ench, and Portugalls come here 
to trafique." 

The Etchings have been reproduced by the half-tone process and 

somewhat reduced in size. 

HENRY R. BLANEV 
Grundmann Studios 

ClurendoJt Street, Uostofi. 



I L L L' S T R A T I O N S 



Old Stai e Uousk 

Boston in 176S . 

State Street and Old Si ate 

Faneuil Hall ... 

Old Feaihek Store, North Si 

Old Fe.viher Siore and Fanei 

Province House ... 

Hou.se or iHE Boston Te.a-I'ar 

Hancock House . 

Liberty Tree 

Birthplace of Paul Revere 

Home oe Cotton Mather 

Old South Church . 

Old North Church . 

Old Brick Chircii 

Lamh Tax'ern 

King's He \I) 'r.w ern 

Creen I)rai;on T.wern 

Sun Tavern 

City Hotel 

Old Boston The.atke 

Hartt House, Hull Streei 



lousE 



REET 

IL Hall 



Fronlispiecf 
Page 1 1 
15 
19 
23 
25 
29 
33 
37 
41 

45 
49 
S3 
57 
61 
65 
69 
73 
77 
Si 
8s 
89 



ILLCSTKAriOXS 



Newman Hoi'se, Sheakk and .Sai.km Si k 
Wells House, Salem Street . 
Stoddakii House, I'kince Streei 

(iKKENWOOIi HolisE, SaLUIATION StkeET 

Old House, ("keek Square 

The UosioN Stone .... 

Rats" Paradise, ]'uo\ince Churi' 

()L11 Hi 'USES. KkHMoND SiKEET 

liENDALL's Lane 

Gkeenoi-oh Lane .... 

Elmer I'i.ace ..... 
Corner Carver and I'leasant Streets 
I'AUL Revere Lanterns 



97 

lOI 

105 
109 
"3 
117 
121 
125 
129 
133 
'37 
'39 



BOSTON IN 176S 



Ri'.i'Konrci'.n from a \'crv rare oltl ctcIiiiiL; 1)\' I'aiil ]\.cvci"c. 

All the old churches are shown, with l.oni;- Wharf, built in 1710. 
and the l^atterv. 'I'his \iew of Hoston antedates h\- onl\' a few \eais 
the period when the ai;"itation for the repeal of the tax on tea was 
constantly being brought to the attention of the citizens ol Boston, 
ultimately resulting in the formation of the Hoston Tea l'art_\- in 1773. 
In 1768 a vessel loaded with wine was seized in the harbor, and the 
collector's boat drawn through the streets, and buined on the Com- 
mon bv a mob. 

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STATE STREET AND OLD STATE HOUSE 



Excur.n fi-om a photoi^Taph taken in 1 888. Many changes have 
been made in the lniilclini;-s on this street since this \ie\v was taken. 
The (lid State I louse is shown at the iqjper end ot the street as it 
looks to-dav ; but the Merchants' I'L.xchange on the left has since been 
removetl, and an enormous officedniilding substituted. From the fore- 
grounil to the State House is the spot where all military organizations 
make a special effort in their parades. " ("loing up State Street " has 
been their watchword for manv years : and the wiiter well remembers 
the thrill e,\]ierienced while marching up this stieet as a member of 
the I^'irst Regiment M.V.M. and the Cadets, passing through crowds 
of shouting and cheei-ing citizens, in celebration of numeious centen- 
nials of the past. 

13 



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Stai E SiRKiii' AMI Oi.ii Stair IIousic. 



FANEUIL HALL 

( The Cradlf of l.tlierly) 

Etchkh from a ])h(>ti)L;rai:ih taken in 1888. Jiiiilt in 1740, and pre- 
sented ti) the town by I'eter l'"aneuil. 

It was burned in 1761, rebuilt, and in 1S05 enlarged. During the 
seige of Boston In' the Americans, the hall was used as a theatre by 
the British officers. The large hall was the scene of all the great 
gatherings of the people previous to and iluring the l^levolution. In 
Shaw's "Historical Description of Boston" is fountl the fdllowing: — 

"In the year 1740, Peter Faneuil, Esq., an opulent merchant of 
Boston, maile an offer to the town to build at his own expense a com- 
modious market-house near Dock .Scjuare, where provisions were then 
exposed for sale. The proposal was thankfulK' recei\-etl, antl the build- 
ing was immediately commenced. The whole was comiileted in a most 
substantial and elegant manner in September, 1742. In 1761 the inside 
woodwork and roof of the building were consumed bv fire ; measures 
were immediately taken for repairing the buikling, and the expense was 
defraved b\' a lottery granted by the General Court for the purpose. 
From this period the history of l-'aneuil Hall is intimately connected 
with that of our countr\-. Here Lee, ( )tis, (Juincv, Adams, Hancock, 
and other patriots exerted their talents to impress on a people jealous 
of their rights the necessit\' of vigilance against foreign encroachments ; 
and became the centre where resulutions were formed and measures 
adopted, which quicklv spread with pervading influence round the wide 
circle of the .State and Continent, and terminated in the establish- 
ment of American Independence." 

17 










Faneuil Hall 



THE OLD FEATHER STORE 

NORTH AND JIAKKEl' STREETS 



Erectep in i6,So, anil razed about i860. It was considered tlie 
most pictLnx'sque Iniildin-- in tliis countrx', and should have been owned 
by the city, for the sake of its remarkable architecture, and kept as a 
reminder of the old order oi things. The name given to it refers to 
the feathers antl furniture kept there for sale; another name for it was 
the Cocked Hat. Built of hea\v oak timbers, it was in excellent 
preservation when torn down. The fi'ont was covered with stucco 
mi.KwI with fragments of glass. I<"aneuil Hall shows through on the 
right. The size of the building was thirty-two by seventeen feet, and 
two stories hiirh. 



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THE PROVINCE HOUSE 

PKOVI.N'CE COURT 



This fine old building was built in 1679, and destro\'ed by fire in 
1864. There are no photographs of it in existence; the etching was 
made from an engraving. For many years it was used as a residence 
by the royal governors, Shirley, Gage, Howe, and others. The weather- 
vane, representing an Indian about to shoot an arrow, is now in the 
collection at the Old State House. Sometime before it was destroved 
by fire, it was used as an inn antl boarding-house under the propri- 
etorship of Mr. T. Wait. 

27 




PkOVINCE IIoL'Sli 






- 16/ ') 



HOUSE OF lUlSTON TEA PARTY 



MOLLIS AM) TKICMOXT STREETS 



The preliminary meeting's of tlic Boston Tea-Party of 1773 are 
supposed to lia\e been held in this house. A number of other houses 
claim the honor, but this house lias been more particulaily marked out. 
The house was built about 1700, and consequently is nearly two huiHlred 
years old. A rather neat and tid\- house this must have been during 
the Revolution ; foi' it stood in the best residential quarter, with the cows 
pastured in front behinil prmi fences. It is wonderfully well preserved, 
and is the oldest house in this part of the cit)-, with possibly one excep- 
tion, which is directly across the way, on Tremont Street. 

31 



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HANCOCK HOUSE 



Until the year 1863, near the State House, stood the mansion of 
the patriot John Hancock. 

It stood on Beacon Street, fronting south, and jiresented a quaint 
and [licturesque appearance, surrounded by trees, flowers, and shrubs. 

It was built of hewn stone, and raised thirteen feet above the street, 
the ascent being through a garden. The front was fifty-si.x feet in 
breadth, and two stories high. In tlie time of Go\-ernor Ilanccx'k a 
hundred cows fed opposite the mansion, upon the Common, and in 
some Colonial blue plates that one can find to-day may be seen the 
house with several cows in front. 

The east wing formed a spacious hall, and the west wing was used 
for domestic purposes. The State building at the World's Columbian 
E-xposition was modelled after this unique residence. The etching from 
which this plate was matle, was drawn from a print of a rare wet-]ilate 
negative, owned by the author. The tower of the State House is seen 
on the right. 

35 



LIBERTY TREE 



The tree stood at the south-east corner of Washington and J^ssex 
Streets, 

The tree was felled by a party led by Job Williams, and it made 
fourteen cords of wood, A British soldier was killed at the time 
while trying to remo\-e one "f the limbs. y\ pole was fastened in the 
tree; and the remnants of the flag used in 1775 are said to be owned 
by H, C. Fernald, antl have been exhibited in the ( )ld South Loan 
Collection, On the stump which remained, a libert)' jiole was erected 
after the war, and this was replaced by another, July 2, 1826. 

In 1833 Liberty Tree Tavern stood upon the spot, Andrew Oliver, 
British Stamp Distributer, was hung in effigy from this tree, Aug, 14, 
1765, by a party of Boston mechanics called the " Sons of Liberty." 
After the effigies hung there a few da\'s, the\' were burned by the 
patriots in front of Oliver's house c)n h'ort Hill. The Liberty Tree 
marked the spot where many patriotic meetings were held antagonistic 
to the tax on tea bv the l^ritish go\ernment. This end of Washing- 
ton Street was formerly called Orange Street, 

39 



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THE BIRTHPLACE OF PAUL REVERE 



Bl'ii.t in 1676. The sketcli was taken in i8gi. Paul Re\-ere was 
born here, and occupied tlie ln)use for many years. 

The house still stands, and is located in North Square off North 
Street. Since the sketch was made, the small store on the left has 
been demolished, and a larg-e tenement erected. Paul Revere was a 
noted patriot and leader, encoui'aging resistance at all times against 
the inic|uitous ta.xes of the British crown. 

lie was a copper-plate engraver and dealer in copper, and ranks 
high among the prominent Revolutionary heroes. 

43 



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HOME 

Ul- lUV. 

REV. COTTON MATHER, D.D., F.R.S. 

ll.\XU\'EK -STREET 



PiioToLKArii taken in 1S93. 

Cotton .Mather was a celebrated minister and writer, and a native 
of Boston; born l^'eb. 12, 1663. A man ni uiiec|iialled industry, vast 
learninj;-, and great benevi.ilence ; also distinguished for his credulity, 
pedantry, and want of judgment. 

No persiiu in America had so large a librar}', or hail read so manv 
books, or retained so much df what he had read. So precious did he 
consitler his time that to prexent visits of unnecessary length, he wrote 
o\"er his study door, "Bt s//c>/'/." He umlerstnod Hebrew, (ireek, Latin, 
Spanish, and Iroipiois, and wi'ote in them all. He died l'"eh. 13, 1727, 
aged si.\ty-fi\"e years. This building, wliere he lixed as a bo}', is now 
a Portuguese boardingdiouse. 

47 




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Home ok Cotton Mathkr 



THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH 



It is situated nn tlie corner of Washington and Milk Streets. 
Erected in 1730, it is still in line preservation. 

Joseph Warren deli\ered an oration on the Boston Massacre of 
March 5, 1770, in this Iniildini;-, and many exciting meetings were held 
within its walls. It was occupied at one time as a riding-school by 
the liritish troops. The meetings to resist the tax on tea were also 
held here. The first (.)ld South Church was erected in i66g, where 
the present one now stands, and was removed on account of its decayed 
condition. In this chui'ch Benjamin l-'ianklin worshijiped and was 
baptized. 

51 



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Oi.ii South Church 



THE OLD NORTH CHURCH 

CHRIST CIIL'RCH, SALEM STREET 



Built in 1723. The oldest church edifice in l^oston. I-'iom llie 
steeple Paul Revere's signal lanterns were tlisplayed on the eve of the 
battle of Lexington. The communion service was presented by King- 
George II. ill 1733. A beautiful chime of bells hangs in the belli}', 
which has lately been put in perfect order, and is rung in the old- 
time fashion by bell-ringers. The bells date from 1744. Kvery year 
thousands of pilgrims from the West and South visit this centre of 
Revolutionary activity. 

A tablet was placed on its fiont, Oct. 17, 187.S, with this in- 
scription : — 

■■ THE SIGN.\L L.ANTKIiXS OP" P.M'I. KEVEKE 

DISPL.AVEI) I.V THE STEEI'LE OE THIS CHURCH, AI'KIL iS, I 775, 

WARNED THE COUNTRY OF THE MARCH OF 

THE BRITISH TROOl'S TO LEXINGTON AND CONCORD." 

The original spire was overthrown in the great gale of 1S04; a new 
one, built by Chas. Bulfinch, preserves the original lines of the old spire. 

55 




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Old North Chuklii 



THE "OLD BRICK" CHURCH 



E'rcuF.n from an old engraving. This building stood from the year 
171 3 to 1808. It was three stories high, and was built of brick. It 
was afterwards known as the " Old Hiick," the regular name for the 
congregation being the l-'irst Church. It stood formerly where "Joy's" 
building now is, cornei' of Court and Washington Streets. A clock 
was attached to the centre of the roof, and there was a large belfry. 
How much one envies and condemns the citizens who lived in those 
times ! They saw man)- curious buildings, but lacked the ability or 
interest to perpetuate them by engraving or etching; yet Rembrandt 
had been dead for nearlv two centuries at that time, and great knowl- 
edge existed in Europe of the art of engrax'ing. 

59 




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LAMB TAVERN. 



Tins little tavern stood formerly upon the site of tlie present Adams 
House, Washington Street, and for more than fifty \'ears was kept 
by Mr. Laban Adams. The Lion Tavein was near b)-. In Drake's 
" Landmarks," page 392, it says, " mention is made of this tavern as 
early as 1746." The first stage-coach to Providence started from here 
in 1767. Its sign was struck by a shot fidni the American lines during 
the siege of Boston. Joel Crosby kept the ta\-ern until 1808. Laban 
Adams pulled it down in 1845, ^■'"^1 opened the old Adams house on the 
same spot in 1846. The building was built of wood, and the addition 
in the rear, which contained the dining-room, was built of brick, in 
1822. 

63 



KING'S HEAD TAVERN 



This buikling was built in 1G91. The etching was drawn from a 
wet plate negative taken in 1855, now owned by the author. 

It stood on the corner of Fleet and North Streets, near Scarlett's 
Wharf. 

Other taverns stood near it; notably, The Ship Tavern, 1650-1866; 
and The Red Lyon, 1654. 

When Josselyn made his second voyage to New England in 1663, 
lie landed in Boston, and " having gratified the men," he writes, wlio 
rowed him ashore, "we repaired to an ordinary (for so they call their 
Taverns there) where we were provided with a liberal cup of burnt 
Madeira wine, and store of plum-cake." In 1647, "upon complaint of 
great disorder that hath been observed, and is like further to increase 
by the use of the game called shovel-board in houses of common 
entertainment, whereby much precious time is s]:>ent unfruitfully and 
much waste of wine and beer occasioned thereby," the use of it is 
forbidden at inns. 

67 



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THE GREEN DRAGON TAVERN 

UNION STREET 



A HANDSOME tablet is inserted in the wall of the present building, 
now located on the spot on which stood this notetl building. 

Here met the Revolutionary patriots (Paul Revere and others) who 
were agitating secession fi-oni luigland, and, as a preliminary, the aboli- 
tion of the tea taxes. 

It was also the first headquarters of the Masonic fraternity, and 
the property is still owned by the .St. Andrew's Lodge of Freemasons. 
The building was a t\vo-stor\- brick building with a pitch roof, but of 
greater elevation in the rear ; and over the entrance an iron rod pro- 
jected, and upon it was crouched the copper dragon which was the 
tavern's sign. It was probably selected as a meeting-place by the 
patriots of the Revolution because Warren was Grand Master of 
the Grand Lodge of Masons, who had their cjuarters here. 

Paul Revere records how he was one of upwards of thirty men, 
chiefly mechanics, who banded together to keep watch on the British 
designs in 1774, 1775, ^nd met here. The old building disappeared in 
October, 182S, when the street was widened. — SnvRTiAiFF, /Jcsm'/'r/o;/ 
of Boston, p. 605. 

71 



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THE SUN TAVERN 

This buildiiii;" still stands; built i Tiyo, in ]''anciiil Hall Square. 

James Da\' kept this tavern in 1753. \\'hen the staye eoaches ran 
reg'ularly to Portsmouth, this was a famous eentre for them ; ami many 
a choice dinner was gi\-en here in the past to ro\'al \isitors. 

The tavern is built of wood ; and a barber-shoi) and dining-saloon 
occupy the second floor, a fish- dealer the street floor. It will not last 
many years ; the building;" will soon no doubt be removed for lordly 
sky-scrapers, and the memories of old coaching-days will depart forever. 
To the author, the tleea\' and passing by of these old structures has 
been a great grief ; but perhaps the etchings and this book will still 
keep their mem<)r\' green in the minds of all good Hostonians and 
lovers of Revolutionar\- histor\-. 



75 



CITY IIOTF.L 



A HAi-F-To\r. reproduct i(in nf a ])hnt<\i;Ta])h taken in iS6o. The 

Citv H<itcl stood until 1868, or tliercabouts, on the north side of Brattle 

Street, aliout where Messrs. Leopold Morse & Co's store now stands. 

It was a well-known liead(|uarteis f ir the northern stage-coaches in its 

day, and was about on a jiar with the Old Bronifield House, of pileasant 

memory to the writer. In the distance, on the left, is a rear \iew of the 

Old Brattle-street Church, in whose walls stuck for nearly one hundred 

years a cannon-ball fired by the American troops during the Re\olutionary 

War. The old house has a worn and draggled appearance, and at the 

date when the photogi-aph was taken was no dou!)t at the end of its 

usefulness. 

79 




City IIotel 



THE OLD BOSTON THEATRE 



Reproduced frdiii engraving; dated 1S25. Erected in 1794 mi tlie 
corner of Franklin anil Federal Streets, where Jones, MclJuffee, and 
Stratton's building now stands. 

On the left is shown the tower of the Catholic Cathedral, built 
181 3, corner of Franklin and Devonshire Streets. The theatre build- 
ing was torn down before the introdnction of photogiaphy, so nothing 
but a few engravings can be found to-day, that give only a dim idea 
of this quaint building. 

It was first opened Feb. 3, 179.4, with the tragedy of Gustavus 
Vasa Erickson, the deli\'erer of Sweden, under the management of Mr. 
Charles Stewart Powell. It was burned Feb. 3, 1798, iiumediately 
rebuilt, and reopened Oct. 29 the same year. 

It contained three rows of bo.xes, and the receipts were usuallv in 
the neiKhborh(}od of twelve hundred dollars a night. 



HARTT HOUSE 

HULL STREET. 

This building, numbered 26 Hull Street, was built A.n. 1724, and 
was the headquarters of (jenei'al Gage during the battle of Hunker Hill. 

Razed July, 1893. The artist's sketch was luckily taken a month 
previous. J'hotographs of this building may be fountl ; but they do not 
show the side \iew of the ronf, nor the quaint chimneys. 

The house faced Copps Hill burying-ground. A strong battery of 
artillery was placed opposite in the burying-ground, which bombarded 
the Americans at the battle of Bunker Hill. 

87 




fcdte^^**?^— / 



NEWMAN HOUSE 



This house, which stood on the corner of Sheafe and Salem Streets, 
was the home of the sexton of the Old North Church ; his name was 
Robert Newman. It is claimed by many that he was the one who was 
designated by Paul Revere to show the signal lanterns in the tower as 
a warning to the Americans that the British had determined to march 
upon Lexington for the purpose of destro\'ing the stores placed there 
by the Revolutionists. It is said that he returned to his home safely 
after performing this act ; and that the British soldiers, searching for 
the perpetrator, suspected him, but upon entering his room found him 
in bed. 

91 







Xkwman' IIdisk, SiiKAMC amj Salem Sikeets 



OLD WELLS HOUSE 

SALEM SIKEET 



Razed |iinc, 1 81)4. lUiilt in lOio. The only example of what is 
called double oveihani;" that came down to our day. Situated on the 
corner of ]{lmer Place and Salem Street, it imparted a decidedly 
anticjue appearance to the quarter; and a view of the old stack of 
chimneys from the rear was most remarkable. The o\crhan,i;' was 
i;i\'en to the building (accoi'diiig to some authorities) to |)reser\e the 
walls from rotting — the drip of the rain falling clear; to otheis, it 
was made to enable the guards to cover the doors aiul windows in 
case of an attack fi-om Indians. 

95 



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STODDARD MOUSE 

130 PKIN'CE STREET 



Used during the battle of Bunker Mill as a hospital by the I^iitish 
troops. 

Major ritcairii was taken to this house after the battle, ami died 
there of his wounds. 

The okl house still stands, in 1895, but has lost some of its quaint- 
ness, having been j^ainted and overhauled generally. The etehing was 
made in 1892 from a pencil sketch of 1890. Major Pitcairn was shot 
by a negro named Peter .Salem while scaling the redoubt at l^unker 
Hill, anil tell back into the arms of his son. He was brought o\'er 
the ferry to Mr. Stoddard's house, and there bletl to death. His 
remains were jilaced under Christ Church, Salem Street. 

99 




Pit D fhfi-t - /' ^^ 



No ,5. FV..,, 51-. "^^ fc.iT.sK H.SHM _' . 4-1; -, ^ 



Stoddard Mouse, Prince Street 



GREENWOOD HOUSE 



SALUTATION STREET 



The etching of this buildinj:;- was made fi-(im a pencil-sketch taken in 
1894. It is still standing. On the right-hand side vi Salutatinn Street, 
going fr(jm Hanover Street, your attention is attracteil by the enormous 
high stack of chinine)'s, towering abo\-e the flat and narrow roof. The 
windows are picked in, as it were, at random seemingh' ; Init there was, 
no diiubt, leason for their matlness, possibly to allow for the passage 
ot the chinnievs. The old house, which was built in the year 1650, 
has a bad joint in its front wall to accommodate the winding alle\' 
perhaps in old times ; and the heavy stone post, which used to guard 
the house from wagon-wheels when theie was no sidewalk, now com- 
placently blocks the sidewalk of modern lioston. It is one of the 
t)klest houses in the noith end of the city now standing; there is 
hai'dh' an(.)ther older to l;e found. 



103 




Gkek.nuood House, Saluiaiicn Sikkkt 



OLD HOUSE, CREEK SQUARE 



It will be hard to find this old rattletrap of a building ; for it is 
in Creek Square, which leads out of Salt Lane, which leads nowhere 
in pai'ticulai", luiless \i)u somehow find yourself in L'nion Street, or 
Hanover Street, oi" Salem Street, or two or three other places besides, 
without knowing exactl}' how you ilid it. The old buikling has been 
rejuvenated, and painted and jiowdered out of all recognition since I Sgo. 
At that time, as ^•ou will notice in the half-tone reproduction of the 
original etching, the windows had a remarkable arrangement on the 
side of the building, and had not been touched from the earliest times, 
the old clapboards and shingles of Revolutionary times still adhering 
here and there, and largely revealing the underlining. It hatl a three- 
sided effect on the southern side, with numerous cracks and evidences 
of e.xtreme old age. 

It has nevei' been illustrated before, and should any one desire to 

stud}' this c|ueer effort of some old-time architect, he will find it well 

painteil and rejuvenated ; for the frame was well made in the first 

place, however careless the owners might have been in modern times. 

I cannot find any special information in relation to this building an_\-- 

where. It was nothing moix- than the modest home of some cordwainer 

or grocer. 

107 







) '< :,...!•, J^MfuhL 



THE BOSTON STONE 



It is inserted in the wall near the corner of Marshall Street and 
Hanover Street, and dates from 1737. It is supposed to be a paint- 
muller used by the early settlers of Boston. 

It was named after the famous London Stone which marked the 
centre of business for that great cit\'. It is not easv to find to-day, 
only the oldest of our citizens keeping it in friendly remembrance. 



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RATS' PARADISE 

PROVINCE COURT 



RuwiXG from Province Court to Marvard Place, clown under the 
foiuulatiiins of enormous buildings, you may yet find this old Revolu- 
tionary passage. It is about two hundred feet long, ten feet high, 
and five feet wide. 

Passing along Province Court on the noith side, half-way down, 
you find a doorway leading into darkness and gloom ; not a ray of 
light to be seen. As you grojie \'our wa\' amid groaning of hidden 
machinery above, anil the squeak of rats below, it gives a pleasing 
variety to the usual sounds lately heard in the streets you have just 
left. 

The view is looking south towards the entrance on Pro\ince Court. 

IIS 



OLD HOUSES 



KICHM(IXI) STREET 



Half-tone from a photonraph taken liy the author in 1894. The 
rarity of an\' gambrcl-ronfcd houses in l^oston to-day led the writer to 
photograpli these two fine specimens of Cohmial architecture. They 
have not l^een illustratetl before, antl are hard to find, as they are lost in 
a dirty desert of squalid tenements between Salem and North Streets. 

119 



BEN BALL'S LANE 

An old passageway Icatliny; from Salcni Street to P'aneuil Mall 
Square, showing the tower of I'"aiieuil Hall, on whieh is the tanious 
grasshopper weather-vane. This li\ely inseet was reprotlueed troni the 
coat-of-arms of I'eter Ivmeiiil. The wooden building on the right has 
just been torn down at the moment of writing. There is a stor)' 
current, that some yeai's ago repairs wei'e found necessary lor the 
weather-vane, and that the workmen foimd a bottle of Aledford rum 
inside the bodv of the grasshop]ier. It is too good to be true, I fear; 
1 won't vouch for it. The passageway dates from the earliest times, 
and is the oldest alley in the city. 







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Bendall's Lane 



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GRHENOUGH LANE 



A VKRV nUl passageway leading into Charter Street, Nortli Knd. 
I^'roni a pencil sketch made in July, iSgi. 

The lane is still the same as ever, and retains more examples of 
Colonial gatnbiel loofs, all in excellent preservation, tlian any other 
locality. The Charter House, built 1685, still stands on the corner as 
seen in the sketch. 

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Mitwwi®^ 



ELMER PLACE 



Elmer Place still exists, but the curious old-fashioned effect wliich 
appeared as one looked towards Salem Street has vanisheil. 

The Wells House, the end of which is shown on the left, was 
demolished a year ago last July to make place for a large tenement. 
Elmer Place was the home of numerous Russian Jews and Hunga- 
rians, whose numberless jirogeny swarmed upon the brick pa\'cmcnt 
of the court which was in Re\'olutionary times a part of the garden 
of the old mansion. The double overhang on the Wells House was 
exceedingly rare ; for many years this example, I think, was the only 
one in Boston, and I know of none at present in the city proper. 

131 



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Ei.MKK Place 



OLD CORNER 

CARVER AM) PLEASANT STREETS 



Quaint and curious is this rare example of Old Boston. It is 
well remembered by old inhabitants of the past of this quarter, for the 
locality was very fashionable and retired between the years 1S40 and 
1865. The view to the right is Carver Street ; the other street is Pleas- 
ant Street. There is nothing historical about this building, but the pic- 
tvuesqueness of its lines attracted the etcher's notice. 



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